Patient Care Technician - NICU - Part-time

Children's National Hospital

1d•$21 - $42

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician works in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 24 hours per week. In collaboration with the multidisciplinary health care delivery team and under the direction of a Registered Nurse, the technician performs basic nursing care activities, helps maintain a safe, clean, and stocked patient-care setting, assists staff members, and helps direct patient flow. The role includes supporting patients and families during admission and daily care; assisting with direct patient care, monitoring, infection control, documentation, communication, shared leadership, and safety. The technician reports changes and abnormal findings to the RN and supports a family-centered care environment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Current certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or Certified Patient Care Technician (CPCT).
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Provider (BLS) certification.
Basic computer skills, including typing and use of a mouse and email.
Knowledge of aseptic technique.
Basic calculation skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Human relations and interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience in a health care setting, preferably pediatrics, or one semester of clinical experience completed at an accredited school of nursing, or military corpsman training.

Responsibilities

Orient families to the call lights, monitor, and unit; set up monitors and alarms; and measure vital signs, height, weight, and head circumference.
Assist with activities of daily living, including bathing, skin care, mouth care, and peri-care; provide nutrition as ordered, including tube feeding and patient feeding; apply skin creams as directed by the RN; and collect cultures and urine and stool samples.
Recognize and report pain and skin breakdown, prioritize tasks and RN requests, and assist with trach care, EVDs, central line dressing, pin care, cast and traction care, and care for dying patients.
Help prepare rooms for admission and discharge, maintain a neat and orderly environment, support patient flow, obtain equipment and supplies, and maintain PAR levels.
Observe monitors and alert the RN to deviations; follow monitor-bank guidelines for dress code and professionalism when assigned.
Provide care for isolation patients, wash hands before and after every patient, and clean equipment after each patient's use.
Document timely information in the nursing database and on flow sheets, including vital signs, and notify the appropriate charge nurse in the computer or chart as appropriate.
Communicate with the RN and team members about changes and abnormal findings, participate in beginning- and end-of-shift reporting, communicate with the RN about patient-care activities at least hourly, and notify the charge nurse when leaving or returning to the unit.
Maintain professional relationships with patients and families, resolve conflicts with coworkers appropriately, support family-centered care, and demonstrate non-judgmental behavior.
Keep informed about council meetings and unit issues; contribute to unit discussions and support shared-leadership decisions.
Promote safety by speaking up about unsafe behavior or performance, verifying information used for decisions and documentation, resolving uncertainty before proceeding, communicating clearly and promptly, and carefully self-checking behavior and performance.